'Listen to me, Lettice,' Algy pleaded. His sister was shouting at one of her numerous offspring and Algy suspected she was about to put down the telephone in order to better deal with the child.

'This is important. The oddjamacallits the kids borrowed when they visited last weekend. I need them back. Apparently they are very important to Biggles's uncle. Can you bob them into the post for me, urgently?'

The telephone receiver was replaced. Algy groaned and resisted the impulse to bang his head against the nearest wall.

'It's no good,' he told Biggles, 'we're going to have to go up to Merioneth and collect 'em ourselves.'

'Major Bigglesworth' said Von Stalhein coldly, 'there are times when I seriously wonder if you were created by the devil just to annoy me.'

'No. She believes in self expression so the little darlings don't grow up fettered by convention, and screaming at them if they do anything especially vile. I didn't know that those things in the package from Dickpa were clues to a fabulous treasure, though. They looked like bits of rubbish that it was ok for them to play with, and their game was keeping them quiet.'

'Major Bigglesworth' said Von Stalhein coldly, 'there are times when I seriously wonder if you were created by the devil just to annoy me.'

Soon they were on their way to Merioneth. The urban sprawl of London was left behind and all too quickly, they had changed trains from the mainline to a local line and were slowly chugging through the countryside. It was raining.

'Major Bigglesworth' said Von Stalhein coldly, 'there are times when I seriously wonder if you were created by the devil just to annoy me.'

'Did you never want to hide anything when you were a kid?' Algy asked. 'Was there nothing you didn't want to share or have pinched or be told tales on? Not even a book that you shouldn't have been reading?'

'Major Bigglesworth' said Von Stalhein coldly, 'there are times when I seriously wonder if you were created by the devil just to annoy me.'

Algy's mother was delighted to see Algy and Biggles. She bore them off to the drawing room as they had arrived just in time to meet her dear friend Mrs Harrington and her three daughters who were paying a call.

'Major Bigglesworth' said Von Stalhein coldly, 'there are times when I seriously wonder if you were created by the devil just to annoy me.'

Biggles shifted a little. His teacup fell into his lap. He immediately leapt up. "I'm so sorry," He exclaimed,"I'd better go and clean up. Nice to have met you both." And he walked swiftly from the room.

The Decision to Survive - A good pilot is both born and made. The best would look upon his work as a combination of adventure and a serious mission. – Major General Sir Frederick Sykes